Physical properties of water in relation to stemflow leachate dynamics: implications for nutrient cycling

Stemflow leachate chemistry from a deciduous canopy tree species monitored during late winter and early spring precipitation events demonstrated significant chemical enrichment. By considering stemflow volume and chemical concentration in relation to the quantity that would be expected in a rain gage occupying an area equivalent to the trunk basal area, manganese was found to be enriched by a mean factor of 1450 and potassium by a mean factor of 580. The most pronounced enrichment was documented during a late winter rain-on-snow event characterized by temperature oscillations near the freezing point. During this event, manganese was enriched by a factor of 4400 and potassium by 1715. We conclude that mixed precipitation events with multiple freeze-melt cycles can generate significantly more leachate than spring rainfall events because of lower air temperatures and increased kinematic viscosity and surface tension of stemflow drainage. These physical properties lengthen the residence time of intercepted precipitation on the woody frame of the tree and promote its funneling from inclined branches. Stemflow represents a spatially localized and enriched point input that may affect tree vigor in early spring. The influence of localized aqueous chemical fluxes to the forest floor on forest biogeochemistry and ecophysiological functioning are discussed.